Conductor Gemma New’s 2019-20 season continues to establish herself as one of today’s fastest-rising international conductors, with six conducting debuts around the world, her inaugural concerts as Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a fifth season as Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and a fourth season as Resident Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Returning for her fifth season as the Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, New will conduct the music by Ravel, Dvořák, Sibelius, Debussy and the world premiere of Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte’s The Mermaid and the Fisherman, featuring soprano Stacie Dunlop and Principal Trumpet Michael Fedyshyn, in the opening night program. The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s season also includes world premieres by Alice Ho and Juliet Palmer and a continuation of the “Intimate and Immersive” Concerts, a series initiated by New that provides a closer-to-the-music atmosphere by combining treasures of the orchestra canon and contemporary music, electronic indie music, lighting and visual art installations.
New leads her first concerts as Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra November 8–10 in works by Debussy, Salina Fisher and the world premiere of Steve Mackey’s Timpani Concerto with DSO Principal Timpanist Brian Jones. She also conducts the orchestra’s New Year’s Eve Concert on December 31, and on March 6–8, leads a second subscription program of works by John Adams, Rachmaninoff and Barber, featuring pianist Garrick Ohlsson.
Returning for a fourth season as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's Resident Conductor, and Director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra in its 50th Anniversary Season, New will conduct SLSO subscription concerts April 17 and 18 of Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with soprano Erin Wall, baritone Edward Nelson and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, as well as Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.
A frequent guest conductor, her international engagements feature debuts with the National Symphony Orchestra D.C., Milwaukee Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Kristiansand Symfoniorkester, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Ulster Orchestra, I Musici Montreal, Buffalo Philharmonic, Santa Rosa Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as well as welcome returns to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and North Carolina Symphony.
New will conclude her season with an operatic conducting debut leading the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in a production of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, directed by Patricia Racette with soprano Susanna Phillips in the title role.
Highlights from New’s 2018-19 season included her debut with the New York Philharmonic on a Young People’s Concert program, leading the season-opening concerts of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, conducting the SLSO on a live broadcast performance of Live From Here with Chris Thile, and debuts with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Jacksonville Symphony.
2019-20 Season Dates
September 21, 2019
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Dvořák, Abigail Richardson-Schulte, Debussy, Sibelius and Ravel
Stacie Dunlop, soprano; Michael Fedyshyn, trumpet; Lewlie Newman, flute
October 19, 2019
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Alice Ho, Mozart, John Williams and Mendelssohn
Timothy Chooi, violin
October 24 & 25, 2019
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Brahms and Schumann
Lynn Harrell, cello
November 8, 9 & 10, 2019
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Performs Debussy, Steve Mackey and Salina Fisher
Brian Jones, timpani
November 22, 2019
Kristiansand Symphony
Performs Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky
Vadym Kholodenko, piano
November 29 & December 1, 2019
Beethoven Orchester Bonn
Performs Tippett, Beethoven and Elgar
Maria Bengtsson, soprano
December 13, 2019
Helsinki Philharmonic
Performs Rossini, Berio and Prokofiev
Antoine Tamestit, viola
December 31, 2019
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
New Year’s Eve Concert
January 9, 10, 11 & 12, 2020
North Carolina Symphony
Performs Salina Fisher, Debussy and Holst
With the Women of the North Carolina Master Chorale
January 16, 18, 19 & 22, 2020
National Symphony Orchestra (D.C.)
Performs Salina Fisher, Beethoven and Holst
Yefim Bronfman, piano
With the Women’s Voices of the University of Maryland Concert Choir
January 30 & 31, 2020
Ulster Orchestra
Performs Stravinsky, Ibert, Kernis and Mendelssohn
Adam Walker, flute
February 15, 2020
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Rossini, Tomasi and Rimsky-Korsakov
David Pell, trombone
February 20, 2020
I Musici Montreal
Performs J.S. Bach, John Adams and Mendelssohn
February 28 & 29, 2020
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Performs Stravinsky, Ravel and Beethoven
Anthony Marwood, violin
March 6, 7 & 8, 2020
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Performs John Adams, Barber and Rachmaninoff
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
March 14, 2020
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Juliet Palmer, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Haydn
Sarah Jeffrey, oboe
March 21, 22 & 23, 2020
Santa Rosa Symphony
Performs Katherine Balch, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven
Jennifer Frautschi, violin
March 26, 2020
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Intimate and Immersive Program
Performs Roydon Tse, Mendelssohn, Jeffrey Ryan, Shostakovich (arr. R Barshai), Norbert Palej
April 3 & 4, 2020
Buffalo Philharmonic
Performs Britten, Gill and Elgar
Orion Weiss and Anna Polonsky, piano
April 17 & 18, 2020
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Performs Pärt, Vaughan Williams and Prokofiev
Erin Wall, soprano, Edward Nelson, baritone and St. Louis Symphony Chorus
May 9, 2020
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Bruckner and Beethoven
Sasha Djihanian, soprano; Lauren Segal, mezzo soprano; Lawrence Wiliford, tenor; Alexander Dobson, baritone
Bach Elgar Choir, Grand River Chorus and Georgetown Bach Chorale
May 21, 2020
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Intimate and Immersive Program
Performs Jordan Pal, Juliet Palmer, Abigail Richardson-Schulte, Alexina Louie, Kelly Marie Murphy
June 13, 17, 19, 21, 25 & 27, 2020
Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Carlisle Floyd: Susannah
Patricia Racette, director; Susanna Phillips, soprano; Nicholas Brownlee, bass-baritone
August 10-12, 2020
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Performs Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn
Carolyn Sampson, soloist
August 24-September 6, 2020
New Zealand Symphony
Program TBA
